


Prescriptalls

by Notebooknote



Series: Attention Shoppers AU [1]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Shopping Malls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-29
Updated: 2013-12-29
Packaged: 2018-01-06 13:12:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1107265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notebooknote/pseuds/Notebooknote
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Welcome to Prescriptalls! Your friendly pharmacy store right in the heart of Toccoa Mall.</i>
</p>
<p>The shipment was late, the scissors had gone missing, and Babe is lost in thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prescriptalls

When he approached the counter, he heard a mumbling voice from behind it. Bill Guarnere cleared his throat and was then confronted by a slightly flustered Eugene. 

“Hey Doc, I still got the itching. Every time I pee, it’s murder.” He looked at the back and saw a stack of boxes piled by the shelves. One was on the ground torn to shreds, a few pill bottles still within the wreck.

“I know. I’m sorry, but you need to get that checked out before I can give you the penicillin. That’s the way it is, Guarnere. Did you see Heffron when you walked in?”

“Sorry, didn’t see the flaming haired wonder, strangely enough. I came in half expecting to find him fallin’ off a ladder, like last week. God knows how he managed to live this long with the coordination he’s got. I swear, he wasn’t made for keepin’ upright. Sure he ain’t in the hospital with a broken leg?”

“Nah, I woulda heard his shriek, followed by him dragging his lanky self to me.” As they talked, Eugene was poking around, eyes scanning every inch of the shelves as he walked through the ones in the back. He was always busy, taking care of both the customers and the mall’s employees. “Well, if you see him on your way out, tell him, I can’t find scissors. I asked Spina before his shift ended and he didn’t have ‘em. Asked Julian too. On topa that, some idiot got this week’s supply in late and I can’t even get the damn boxes open. Almost damaged some stuff hackin’ at it with a pen. I’ve been lookin’ all morning, didn’t even see if he came in.”

Almost as if on cue, Babe Heffron walked in, shivering.

“Sorry I’m late. Stupid midday traffic.”

“Your ears burning, Babe?” Bill asked. “Ha, we were just looking for you. Doc, here, is turning more Cajun by the minute. Can’t find the scissors, can’t find you, can’t open boxes. Ah, I’ll leave you two to it. Love to chat but my break’s done. See you ‘round, fellas. And Babe, you’re ma was asking about a boyfriend?”

Babe stopped in his tracks. He stopped walking, stopped taking off his coat, and even stopped breathing for a minute. He stopped so abruptly, he almost knocked over John Julian’s prized Pringles pyramid at the end of one of the shelves. Bill laughed and walked out of the small pharmacy store, leaving a wide-eyed Roe and a slightly red Babe standing stock still.

“Edward. Edward! Hey, you gotta help me unload these boxes. I need some scissors. I don’t got any. Can’t believe we lost all of our damn scissors.” Babe blinked hard at his first name. He looked at Eugene, without really looking at him. It took him a moment to collect himself after the revelation of Bill. When he spoke, he wouldn’t look Gene in the eye. His words were blunt knives, intended to be sharp, but couldn’t cut through the boxes. 

“What’s with the Edward, huh? How many times do I gotta tell you? Only the nuns ever called me that. All this Edward Heffron bullshit.” Hard as he tried, he wanted to play off his little freeze up. He took off his coat and threw it in the back of the pharmacist’s counter. He missed the chair in the corner by a foot, grumbled as he picked it up, put it right, and made his way to front cash, knocking over the chocolate stand beside it. 

“Sorry. I’m gonna make a run and see if anyone’s got scissors to spare. Could you see if you could get any open without damagin’ whatever is inside?” With that, Gene left the pharmacy. Babe made his way to the back and started ripping at the cardboard with his hands. Whoever taped the boxes shut had some kind of paranoia of them opening during transport by the looks of the layers and lines of adhesive all over the cardboard.

He had no clue where his mother got the idea that he had a boyfriend. No, he was single and entertaining the notion that he’d be single for a very long time. He had a crush, if that was worth anything. He liked someone who was already, it seems, taken by a woman who worked in the mall. He mentally berated himself for the panic he’d shown in front of that person. It was stupid really, he was stupid. At the mere mention of a boyfriend, he immediately thought of the black hair and lulling accent. 

Who was he kidding? This was more than a silly crush. Babe Heffron had it bad for Eugene Roe. 

When he first started working in the Prescriptalls, he made friends easily with John Julian and the other pharmacist, Ralph Spina. Eugene Roe was different. He was kind and quiet and he’d much preferred to remain behind his counter. So, when it wasn’t busy, Babe made it a habit to hang around closer to the back. Babe would talk and fill the silence as both stocked their respective shelves or checked on things, Gene sometimes offering a few words. 

As time went on, Babe found himself drawn to the warmth in Gene’s voice. He’d always try to make him laugh to see the crinkle at the corner of his deep blue eyes. Yeah, Babe liked him. It just took his mother’s discovery of his surprise fictitious relationship for him to really think about his feelings. 

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice the body standing next to him. 

“Babe? I got scissors from Perconte… Your hand is bleedin’.” Looking down, he saw a large cut on his palm. Eugene picked up the first aid kit from under the counter and started on Babe’s hand. Again, Babe scolded himself for zoning out and bleeding on the products. Then, he smiled and looked at Gene, all of his earlier anxieties seemingly melted away.

“Hey Gene. You called me Babe.”

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone has any ideas for my Mall AU, send 'em to me! I'm on tumblr (thesenotebooksnotes.tumblr.com) if you want to send them there.
> 
> I mean no disrespect with these stories.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
